Legal aid and judicial review exist to protect everyone, ensure that everyone has access to justice, is innocent til proven guilty, call out the state on, and overturn, bad decisions and mistakes. This is the system that allows lawyers to work for people who cannot afford their fees and allows ordinary people to take the […]

The EDL are on the march. A movement which had almost been vanquished has vomited its bile over the streets once more. While we must stand up to them, it is important not to let off the hook the powerful people who stirred up this filth, but now look on in proclaimed horror as it […]

By now most of you will have heard that the Tories have asked local party groups whether they think there should be a cap on the number of GP appointments that NHS patients (excluding those in Scotland, as responsibility for the Scottish NHS is devolved to Holyrood) should be allowed in a year. The original […]

There is, of course, a left wing case for opposing Scottish independence. It is articulated best by the likes of Owen Jones – ‘we shouldn’t divide the working class’. Likewise, there is, of course, a right wing case for independence – the Scottish Enterprise Party got a handful of votes for espousing it, once upon […]

From the moment he declared he would stand for Tory leader, Cameron’s strategy was clear. He pulled up a white flag in the culture war so he could pull out his pistol in the class war. He hugged hoodies and huskies so he could end the NHS; pushed all women short lists so he could slash women’s services. […]

What’s the difference between Michael Gove and a plastic surgeon? A plastic surgeon tucks features, but Gove… For a while, Michael Gove was one of the coalition government’s biggest jokes. Between the vanity projects, the prat-falls, and his Pob-like features, it’s easy to see why he’s the target of satire, but those who laugh at […]

Eyes down, ladies and gentlemen, eyes down. It’s time for Anti-Abortion Bullshit Bingo! Nadine Dorries has been granted a 90-minute debate in the House of Commons on reducing the abortion time limit, and that means we should be in for some high-quality bullshit. Print off your card and get ready to cross off each dodgy […]

In his party conference speech this week, David Cameron talked about the importance of aspiration, and his party’s desire to look after those who “strive to make a better life for themselves”. Amongst all of the lies and twisted statistics in that speech, it was the stuff about the virtues of hard work that bothered […]

Dear Salvation Army My name is Liz, I grew up in the Salvation Army – so did my dad and his dad, and my mum and her mum. I became a Junior Solider at 7, and a band member at 8. You taught me how to play the trombone, and to speak out about what […]

One of big news stories this week is that Home Secretary Theresa May has been briefing MPs on proposals to introduce a minimum income requirement for UK citizens who want their spouse from outside of the EU to live with them in this country. As part of the Coalition government’s drive to reduce immigration, anyone […]